Massively OP Podcast Episode 105: Samurai and Smedley

This week saw one of the biggest MMO industry shakeups in recent memory, with big-name developers leaving long-term posts and Amazon giving Smedley a shot at redemption. Add in revelations about two major upcoming expansions, and it’s all we can do to bottle up the news and deliver it to you before it explodes all over the place!

It’s the Massively OP Podcast, an action-packed hour of news, tales, opinions, and gamer emails! And remember, if you’d like to send in your own letter to the show, use the “Tips” button in the top-right corner of the site to do so.

Thanks for answering my question! I really appreciate that you all took the time to give it your thoughts. I’ll have to give MMOs another go from a different perspective…Look at the things a game is offering rather than what it isn’t, and take the time to explore the game rather than simply getting through the first few levels before calling it quits.

Not really sure what to do with Dr. Eliot’s relationship advice, though. Hahaha

Wow that last email was very timely for me. I recently left GW2 for the third time due to boredom and dissatisfaction over what seem to be the core principles and design priorities of the game. On a whim I reinstalled Prophecies and effortlessly spent the next 5 hours just losing myself in the world and “re-experiencing” what made this franchise magical in the first place. Everything from the mechanics, story, and fluid pace made it fresh back then, and I would contend fresh today as well.

Maybe it’s just nostalgia overtaking me and distorting the truth. I’m not sure because I was never a hard core player but something about the GW1 title just “feels right” and is a game I can play and never feel as though I am going through the tropes and institutions of modern mmo game design.

I’m a 5 minute drive from Anet headquarters and feel as though I want to walk in and beg/plead for development resources to return to the original franchise. Heck with an engine overhaul alone I bet the original franchise would destroy any kind of financial return a new GW2 expansion could provide.

As usual, I’m probably looking through rose-colored hindsight glasses, but one can always dream!

Listening to the podcast and you guys mentioned Xbox’s refusal to go x-platform with FFXIV with Sony. Just like to point out that Xbox has been ready to go cross-platform for over a year now on all their titles; Sony is the one holding up their end of the bargain. Xbox is already x-platform with PC on their first-party games and the third-parties are coming onboard as well.